The year’s most over-the-top proposals

For some couples, love is in the showmanship. If you like your marriage proposals big, multi-media and choreographed with military precision, 2013 was your year. From the Home Depot flash mob that got us singing along with Betty Who to technological advances in drones and Pinterest, here’s a round up of our favorites.

Jason and Christina: Drone over Alamo Square

When most of us hear the word “drone” we don’t think “romance,” but when Jason proposed to his girlfriend Christina at San Francisco’s Alamo Square Park he decided to use the technology as part of their special day. While shooting some photos of Christina in the park he flew a drone in to drop a ring while he dropped to one knee. The type of drone used hasn’t been specified yet: we imagine this is one proposal of which Jeff Bezos would approve.

Ryan & Amanda: Pinterest

Amanda Roman, like many people, set up a Pinterest board with some of her favorite wedding features so she’d be ahead of the game if boyfriend Ryan Leak decided to pop the question. Little did Amanda know it was Ryan who was actually ahead of the game. On June 7, Ryan popped the question to Amanda and married her the same day. “Planning a whole wedding is unbelievably daunting so Pinterest was amazing as it enabled me to pick exactly what Amanda would have liked.” The groom said of the year long, secret process.

Spencer & Dustin: Home Depot flash mob

“I tend to live in a fairytale, happily-ever-after kind of world, so I wanted to go all out for my proposal,” Spencer Stout said of his August 30 proposal to boyfriend Dustin Reeser in the lumber aisle of a Home Depot in Salt Lake City, Utah. “I chose Home Depot not only because of our mutual love of home improvement projects, but also for the major role it played in our first date.” Stout organized a flash mob of family and friends to dance to “Somebody Loves You” by Betty Who. The video of the proposal became an Internet hit, Spencer and Dustin were even invited on Ellen.

Adam and Jacqueline: Rap Battle

Brit Adam Felman (a.k.a Mos Prob) and his American girlfriend, Jacqueline Harper (a.k.a Rapunsell) were participating in a “Don’t Flop” rap battle in Leeds, West Yorkshire on November 9 when Adam dropped down on one knee after dropping some rhymes. In front of 1,000 + people he rapped “Please, I’d kill for you Jackie, I love you, will you marry me?” Jacqueline, through tears, offered a healthy “hells yeahs!” in reply. (Note: some mild NSFW language in this one.)

Jeanne and Alissa: “Public Disturbance”

When Alissa was called out of a meeting at her Seattle office on July 30 to investigate a “public disturbance” the last thing she expected to see was her girlfriend, Jeanne, on top of a city bus with a brass band playing. Jeanne proposed to Alissa to the strains of the Lumineers’ “Hey Ho” through a series of loving signs. The description of the video on Alissa’s YouTube account notes: “Just the night before, we were talking about romance and I pretty much told her she wasn’t romantic. I am eating crow… and will be for a long time.”

Chris and Moriah: Peter Pan and Wendy

Moriah long had a thing for the story of Peter Pan: as a child she wore out her copy of the live-action Mary Martin version and slept with ice skates under her pillow so she’d be ready for her dream dates with the boy who never grew up. Enter Chris: an actor Moriah had been seeing who happened to be cast as Pan in a play. “His way of letting me know was a text that read, “Will you be my Wendy?'” Moriah recounts. “I called my mom and told her that if this wasn’t THE ONE, than it was a cruel joke.” June 25 on a period-perfect Spanish galleon stand-in for the Jolly Roger, Chris proposed to Moriah in full Peter Pan and Wendy costumes with friends on hand as pirates and lost boys.

Jason and Scott: Trannyshack, San Francisco

For Jason Leroy and Scott Ward the San Francisco drag show “Trannyshack” is more than a night at the club. “Scott and I first met at Trannyshack on Halloween in 2006, so when the time came for our first anniversary since Prop. 8 was officially struck down, I knew exactly what to do.” Jason says. On Friday, October 25 Jason arranged with drag hosts Heklina and Peaches Christ (who were present when Jason and Scott met in 2006) to get on stage at the DNA Lounge and propose to Scott in front of the revue’s packed crowd. Even with some last minute omissions from the script by the performers Jason says, “ultimately it went better than I could have ever imagined. It is truly one of the happiest moments of my life, and I owe it all to Trannyshack.” We’ve been promised an exclusive if the pair decide on a Trannyshack wedding.